| 918th Bombardment Group | TBD | A | The 918th flew missions in the movie "12 O'Clock High" under the command of General Frank Savage. One measure of the authenticity of this movie is the number of veterans who claim this story is about their group...
I have indicated it is in a First BD wing (Triangle) with a group ID letter of "A", as this is how it was depicted in the movie, although that identification was used by the 91st BG operating from Bassingbourn Airfield.
The dates of operation are inclusive of 8th Air Force operations in Europe.
In addition to the numeric relation of the 918th to the 306th Bomb Group at Thurleigh - after all, 3 X 306 = 918, as anyone can see - the 918th Re-Enactors have put together additional connections between the two! “On the morning of 4 January 1943, General Ira Eaker, gathered Col. Frank A. Armstrong Jr. and Lt. Col. Bierne Lay Jr. for an inspection of the 306th BG at Thurleigh. The result was that Eaker relieved the CO, Col. Overacker, and placed Col. Armstrong in command." Such an action is clearly depicted in the movie - and there are many others tying the two groups together.
The 918th BG Re-Enactors are "USAAF re-enactors. We do AAF hanger talk, 12 O'Clock High talk, and bomb missions. We just got back from the Duren mission 20 October 1943. Hate to tell you this but we got pretty beat up." |